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United States Patent | 5,136,452 |
Orton | August 4, 1992 |
An RC controller includes a circuitboard with a circuit for variably coupling power from a battery to the drive motor of a radio controlled model. The circuit includes braking componentry that produces a low resistance path in parallel with the motor in order to brake the motor under operator control. The braking componentry includes a flyback diode and a semiconductor device connected across the terminals of the drive motor. The flyback diode may be a separate component or a part of the semiconductor device. According to a major aspect of the invention, a fuse is provided in series with the flyback diode to protect it against damage in the event the battery is connected backwards. The fuse is placed to protect the flyback diode without introducing an undesired voltage drop between the battery and the drive motor. Various fuse placements are disclosed. Instead of a separate fuse, one embodiment includes an unfused flyback diode that doubles as a fuse. To facilitate replacement, it may be pluggable or even soldered to terminals on the exterior of the controller housing in a user-accessible position. Another embodiment is arranged to operate in conjunction with a user-provided connection between one terminal of the battery and one terminal of the drive motor.
Inventors: | Orton; Kevin R. (970 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, CA 92672) |
Appl. No.: | 818790 |
Filed: | January 9, 1992 |
Current U.S. Class: | 361/33; 318/16; 318/139; 337/187; 337/198; 361/104; 446/456 |
Intern'l Class: | H02H 007/09 |
Field of Search: | 361/33,82,84,104 337/187,197,198,216 307/127 318/6,16,139,266,370,376,371,375,293 446/456 |
4164726 | Aug., 1979 | Weibe | 337/215. |
4305030 | Dec., 1981 | Lorenz | 318/758. |
4406982 | Sep., 1983 | McClellan, Jr. | 318/139. |
4450397 | May., 1984 | Painter et al. | 318/375. |
5043640 | Aug., 1991 | Orton | 318/16. |